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Side Trip
An unforgettable and breathtaking novel of love, loss, and the unexpected routes that life takes from Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.
With her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list in hand, California girl Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip to meet up with her fiancé, checking off the bullets along the way.
Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has a serious case of wanderlust and a broken-down car. Stuck at a diner between LA and Flagstaff, he meets Joy, his complete opposite. She’s energetic. He’s moody. She’s by the book. He’s spontaneous. She believes in love at first sight. He thinks love is a complicated mess. But Joy has a brand-new convertible.
They strike a deal. She’ll drive him to New York. He’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree.
A heart-stirring love story that spans a decade, Side Trip explores what-if. What if Joy and Dylan had exchanged last names? What if he’d told her she made him believe love was worth the risk? And what if they hadn’t made that second deal when they couldn’t say goodbye?
With her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list in hand, California girl Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip to meet up with her fiancé, checking off the bullets along the way.
Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has a serious case of wanderlust and a broken-down car. Stuck at a diner between LA and Flagstaff, he meets Joy, his complete opposite. She’s energetic. He’s moody. She’s by the book. He’s spontaneous. She believes in love at first sight. He thinks love is a complicated mess. But Joy has a brand-new convertible.
They strike a deal. She’ll drive him to New York. He’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree.
A heart-stirring love story that spans a decade, Side Trip explores what-if. What if Joy and Dylan had exchanged last names? What if he’d told her she made him believe love was worth the risk? And what if they hadn’t made that second deal when they couldn’t say goodbye?
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2020
3,354 people are currently reading
7,242 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Lonsdale
12books3,022followersKerry Lonsdale is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon Charts & #1 Kindle bestselling author of standalone and series-based romantic women's fiction and emotionally charged domestic drama with over twenty-seven foreign language translations. She is the mother of two twenty-somethings and minion to three rescue cats. She resides in Northern California with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 682 reviews
September 29, 2019
Hi friends!
I’m ecstatic for you to read my next stand-alone novel, SIDE TRIP, a romantic women’s fiction story of love, loss, and the unexpected routes life takes. Joy’s journey spans a decade. There’s sibling rivalry and regrets, family drama, a smidge of suspense, inklings of mystery, a healthy dose of romance, loads of greasy diner food, music, more music, and thousands of miles traveled. This book should give you all the feels.
I hope you add SIDE TRIP to your ŷ shelves. Enjoy!
Kerry xo
I’m ecstatic for you to read my next stand-alone novel, SIDE TRIP, a romantic women’s fiction story of love, loss, and the unexpected routes life takes. Joy’s journey spans a decade. There’s sibling rivalry and regrets, family drama, a smidge of suspense, inklings of mystery, a healthy dose of romance, loads of greasy diner food, music, more music, and thousands of miles traveled. This book should give you all the feels.
I hope you add SIDE TRIP to your ŷ shelves. Enjoy!
Kerry xo
July 12, 2020
Side Trip is about Joy Evers, who loses her sister and decides to take on her Route 66 bucket list (I need one of those too!). Joy sets out to go cross country. Along the way, she meets a singer named Dylan, her opposite in many ways. His car is broken down, and he needs her help traveling cross country, too, so they set up some ground rules; mostly, that they wouldn’t exchange last names and that what happens on the road, stays on the road.
This story is much more about the romance than the traveling, so I think this has appeal for contemporary romance readers. Joy has a fiancé waiting at the end of her trip, but her feelings also grow for Dylan, and they are spending a lot of time together traveling. I loved the chemistry between Joy and Dylan. The music also added some spark. Overall, Lonsdale has delivered another emotional contemporary with a great love story.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
This story is much more about the romance than the traveling, so I think this has appeal for contemporary romance readers. Joy has a fiancé waiting at the end of her trip, but her feelings also grow for Dylan, and they are spending a lot of time together traveling. I loved the chemistry between Joy and Dylan. The music also added some spark. Overall, Lonsdale has delivered another emotional contemporary with a great love story.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
February 15, 2020
This novel didn’t work for me. I never got emotionally invested in the characters. I like being clear about what outcome I’m rooting for, but because I never cared about the characters and it was unclear whether I was hoping Joy worked things out with Mark or Dylan, that never happened.
Joy is driving from California where she just finished college to New York, where her fiancé Mark lives. Along the way, she’s crossing off her older sister’s bucket list. Joy feels responsible for Judy’s death, and dressing in the 50s style her sister was fond of and listening to 50s music while checking off the things her sister wanted to do makes her feel less guilty. It doesn’t take a psychic to figure out that Joy needs to forgive herself for making a dumb mistake when she was young, and living her sister’s life’s goals will never bring her back.
Along the way, she meets an angry, talented musician. She knows Dylan doesn’t want to be performing at dive bars across America because he has terrible stage fright. He much prefers writing songs and selling them to people who like to perform or discovering talent and helping those folks make it in the music industry. He won’t tell her why he has to drive across the country doing this, although once he finally does, you realize it was a stupid thing he kept secret and he should have just told her straight away. We’re told about how hot they are for each other, but I never felt it.
Even though he knows she’s engaged, they fall for each other along the way, but Joy still feels obligated to marry Mark because she promised him he would.
I’ve liked other books by Lonsdale, but not this one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES JULY 7, 2020.
Joy is driving from California where she just finished college to New York, where her fiancé Mark lives. Along the way, she’s crossing off her older sister’s bucket list. Joy feels responsible for Judy’s death, and dressing in the 50s style her sister was fond of and listening to 50s music while checking off the things her sister wanted to do makes her feel less guilty. It doesn’t take a psychic to figure out that Joy needs to forgive herself for making a dumb mistake when she was young, and living her sister’s life’s goals will never bring her back.
Along the way, she meets an angry, talented musician. She knows Dylan doesn’t want to be performing at dive bars across America because he has terrible stage fright. He much prefers writing songs and selling them to people who like to perform or discovering talent and helping those folks make it in the music industry. He won’t tell her why he has to drive across the country doing this, although once he finally does, you realize it was a stupid thing he kept secret and he should have just told her straight away. We’re told about how hot they are for each other, but I never felt it.
Even though he knows she’s engaged, they fall for each other along the way, but Joy still feels obligated to marry Mark because she promised him he would.
I’ve liked other books by Lonsdale, but not this one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES JULY 7, 2020.
November 20, 2020
I tried my very best to like Side Trip. The idea of doing bucket list with a very handsome and alluring stranger is just too tempting. Then somehow along the side trip, I lost my way understanding this book. I even fall asleep listening to the audio book.
Side Trip is just a tangle mess. The time frame of Now, Before between Dylan and Joy is just too confusing. I have to guess which time frame they were in. Anyway, another disappointment. I think this year I shelved record breaking DNF books.
Moving on...
2 stars
Side Trip is just a tangle mess. The time frame of Now, Before between Dylan and Joy is just too confusing. I have to guess which time frame they were in. Anyway, another disappointment. I think this year I shelved record breaking DNF books.
Moving on...
2 stars
July 8, 2020
Reading this, I kinda felt like the author was out of touch with reality. I mean, no one updates their relationship status on Facebook anymore, and especially not to "It's complicated" when they're MARRIED. Hell, I know middle schoolers with more class than that. That's a bitch move right up there with turning on your read receipts solely for the purpose of letting someone you're ghosting know that you're intentionally ghosting them. Just... smh...
February 6, 2020
So many thanks to the author, Kerry Lonsdale, for allowing me to be a part of the promotional team for this book, and providing me with a free, digital ARC!
I tend to read psychological fiction, suspense and creepy horrors; these types of novels have always been my genre of choice. It was only recently that I started getting into women’s fiction novels, and Kerry Lonsdale’s “� novel series was actually where that journey began for me.
Joy is still reeling from the death of her sister when she was a teenager, and she decides to combat her grief by completing her sister’s “bucket list�. When her fiancée relocates to New York, Joy jumps at the chance to make the cross-country road trip, hopefully checking off her sister’s dreams as she goes. At a diner in Arizona, Joy meets Dylan, a songwriter with a broken down car and a goa of his own - to perform at various venues from one coast to the other in order to fulfill his father’s dying wishes. The two end up road tripping together, each trying to complete their own individual lists. As the two veer off on various “side trips� to check off their obligations, the two begin to learn about each other and romantic feelings begin to grow. But with only ten days together, do they really know each other? Could what they have be worth risking it all?
Both Joy and Dylan are complex characters, and they bring about a wide range of emotions in the reader. I sympathized with Joy while at the same time I was completely frustrated with her. I liked Dylan’s wit but at the same time was annoyed by his arrogance. This, though, is why they are so likable. They are not the usual cheesy, picture-perfect characters that romance novels generally feature. They are dysfunctional and flawed, but they are perfect together.
I thought I had predicted how this novel would end, but the twist toward the end was one I didn’t see coming. It leaves a reader thinking of all the roads not taken, and the choices we have made along the way that brought us to where we are.
This emotionally charged road trip story is thought provoking, full of heart-warming characters and beautiful settings. Joy and Dylan are wonderful characters to get to know and I hope to see more of them in the future!
I tend to read psychological fiction, suspense and creepy horrors; these types of novels have always been my genre of choice. It was only recently that I started getting into women’s fiction novels, and Kerry Lonsdale’s “� novel series was actually where that journey began for me.
Joy is still reeling from the death of her sister when she was a teenager, and she decides to combat her grief by completing her sister’s “bucket list�. When her fiancée relocates to New York, Joy jumps at the chance to make the cross-country road trip, hopefully checking off her sister’s dreams as she goes. At a diner in Arizona, Joy meets Dylan, a songwriter with a broken down car and a goa of his own - to perform at various venues from one coast to the other in order to fulfill his father’s dying wishes. The two end up road tripping together, each trying to complete their own individual lists. As the two veer off on various “side trips� to check off their obligations, the two begin to learn about each other and romantic feelings begin to grow. But with only ten days together, do they really know each other? Could what they have be worth risking it all?
Both Joy and Dylan are complex characters, and they bring about a wide range of emotions in the reader. I sympathized with Joy while at the same time I was completely frustrated with her. I liked Dylan’s wit but at the same time was annoyed by his arrogance. This, though, is why they are so likable. They are not the usual cheesy, picture-perfect characters that romance novels generally feature. They are dysfunctional and flawed, but they are perfect together.
I thought I had predicted how this novel would end, but the twist toward the end was one I didn’t see coming. It leaves a reader thinking of all the roads not taken, and the choices we have made along the way that brought us to where we are.
This emotionally charged road trip story is thought provoking, full of heart-warming characters and beautiful settings. Joy and Dylan are wonderful characters to get to know and I hope to see more of them in the future!
July 7, 2020
This one was a light, romance read with heart. Joy is on a road trip across country from Cali to NY to meet up with her fiance once she gets to NY. With her deceased sisters Route 66 bucket list in hand, She plans to check off things along the way! She crosses paths with Dylan, a singer-songwriter, when she's at a diner in the beginning of her trip! His car has broken down and he also is headed to NY! They make a deal, she will drive him to NY. They don't tell eachother their last names, and whatever happens on the road, stays on the road! Even though Joy is engaged, her and Dylan fall for eachother. This is love story spanning a decade and is told in 3rd person POV. I never really felt pulled into this one. It is a quick read but I just never really felt like I connected to the characters. I wanted to hear more about the travelling, more about Route 66. But overall it's a romance story. This isn't a thought provoking read! It is a fun, summery type romance. Take it for what it is! It has a few twists towards the end that I liked so that was a nice surprise. It was well written, I just think this one wasn't for me!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted review copy!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted review copy!
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 3, 2020MINORITY OPINION ALERT!!
Clearly, I am on an island by myself as there are many, many wonderful reviews of this book. This book is just not for me. I could tell from the first 10 pages, but I wanted to give it a chance as all books deserve. I made it to page 150 and figured it was time to put it down. I could not connect to the story because the characters were very one dimensional. Joy and Dylan meet at a burger joint on Route 66 and from there they decide to road trip to NYC with many stops along the way. A romance will ensue, but the trouble neither are looking for love. Joy is already engaged and Dylan is not into relationships. I don't have any issues with this trope, but I couldn't get the instant connection these two seemed to make. I also had a lot of trouble with Joy making almost every decision in her life based on what her deceased older sister would have done. That really perplexes me no matter what the backstory.
Ultimately, I want to devote time to reading something I enjoy and I urge you to read this if it interests you. Many others have loved it!
Thank you to Kathleen Carter, Lake Union Publishing and Kerry Lonsdale for the gifted copy to review.
Review Date: 07/03/2020
Publication Date: 07/07/2020
Clearly, I am on an island by myself as there are many, many wonderful reviews of this book. This book is just not for me. I could tell from the first 10 pages, but I wanted to give it a chance as all books deserve. I made it to page 150 and figured it was time to put it down. I could not connect to the story because the characters were very one dimensional. Joy and Dylan meet at a burger joint on Route 66 and from there they decide to road trip to NYC with many stops along the way. A romance will ensue, but the trouble neither are looking for love. Joy is already engaged and Dylan is not into relationships. I don't have any issues with this trope, but I couldn't get the instant connection these two seemed to make. I also had a lot of trouble with Joy making almost every decision in her life based on what her deceased older sister would have done. That really perplexes me no matter what the backstory.
Ultimately, I want to devote time to reading something I enjoy and I urge you to read this if it interests you. Many others have loved it!
Thank you to Kathleen Carter, Lake Union Publishing and Kerry Lonsdale for the gifted copy to review.
Review Date: 07/03/2020
Publication Date: 07/07/2020
July 8, 2020
The drama in this one drove me nuts! lol You could tell that Joy was hiding something and when she talked about her sister's accident it was pretty easy to guess, especially as she was living her sisters life. I wanted to yell at her, to tell her to do what she wanted. So when Joy let Dylan ride along I was surprised, because it seemed so not like her she was, but the old her.
Their road trip had me laughing at their antics and how good it was for both of them. I liked how they slowed started to share things and you had to be blind not to see they were attracted to each other. So I was pissed when at the end of the road trip Joy went back to her life, I really wanted her to do the not safe thing and pick Dylan. The years of their life after was just sad. Neither were happy, it seemed like Joy self sabotaged, while Dylan reached out in the most passive aggressive ways. Then, when it seemed finally they could be together we find out Dylan died in the plane crash years earlier, something I didn't expect because nothing was spoken about it when it was brought up. I was super pissed!! Both of them wasted they time they would have had, years to live and love, to be happy. But no, not really, because we had a sort of "Dallas like dream sequence", where Joy "saw" her future if she let Dylan go and didn't, she ran after him and they got their HEA. Part of me was happy, part of me was like, WTH, what was the purpose of all that I just read.
Their road trip had me laughing at their antics and how good it was for both of them. I liked how they slowed started to share things and you had to be blind not to see they were attracted to each other. So I was pissed when at the end of the road trip Joy went back to her life, I really wanted her to do the not safe thing and pick Dylan. The years of their life after was just sad. Neither were happy, it seemed like Joy self sabotaged, while Dylan reached out in the most passive aggressive ways. Then, when it seemed finally they could be together we find out Dylan died in the plane crash years earlier, something I didn't expect because nothing was spoken about it when it was brought up. I was super pissed!! Both of them wasted they time they would have had, years to live and love, to be happy. But no, not really, because we had a sort of "Dallas like dream sequence", where Joy "saw" her future if she let Dylan go and didn't, she ran after him and they got their HEA. Part of me was happy, part of me was like, WTH, what was the purpose of all that I just read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I could barely read the last 10% through my tears. What a book. It took me a few chapters to get fully invested, but holy cow—what a ride this turned out to be...literally! Absolutely fell in love with Dylan Westfield, he definitely stole my heart.
Joy and Dylan’s story is filled with loss, regret, guilt, heartbreak, taking chances and learning to live your own best life. The two strangers meet and decide to share a journey along Route 66 to their ultimate destination of New York. The chapters alternate between “Before� and “After� giving insight to both characters and providing their inner struggles and revelations. It was so well done and so well written. The road trip, the side trips, the characters, the unique story, the twists...I loved it all!
I could barely read the last 10% through my tears. What a book. It took me a few chapters to get fully invested, but holy cow—what a ride this turned out to be...literally! Absolutely fell in love with Dylan Westfield, he definitely stole my heart.
Joy and Dylan’s story is filled with loss, regret, guilt, heartbreak, taking chances and learning to live your own best life. The two strangers meet and decide to share a journey along Route 66 to their ultimate destination of New York. The chapters alternate between “Before� and “After� giving insight to both characters and providing their inner struggles and revelations. It was so well done and so well written. The road trip, the side trips, the characters, the unique story, the twists...I loved it all!
July 27, 2020
I’m drained... of tears and emotions.
July 4, 2020
5 "Best Life" Stars!
Kerry Lonsdale has hit it out of the park with Side Trip! I loved everything about this book. Joy is traveling across the country via Route 66 as some sort of penance. She's doing things that her deceased sister always planned to do but is now unable. Dylan is traveling the same route and performing at various dive bars along the way. He's miserable and resentful that he was forced to go on this trip. Fate brings these two together when Dylan's car breaks down along the way at a diner. He and Joy meet and she agrees to let him ride with her.
Joy and Dylan initially enter into their road trip agreement for mutual benefit. For Dylan, he needs transportation. Joy feels more at ease having a traveling companion and Dylan agrees to pay for their gas along the way.. What neither of them plan on is that they grow to enjoy one another's company and friendship. It's evident that they are both fighting personal battles. Joy is haunted by "what ifs" and Dylan is plagued by the influence of his deceased father. Joy is making decisions to make others happy or what she perceives will make others happy. She rarely listens to what her own heart wants. Dylan's father was never a good example of a dedicated family man. He convinced Dylan that long-term relationships would never work for men in the music industry.
This story is told from both Joy and Dylan's viewpoints. It also involves different time periods and bounces back and forth between them. I thought this storyline was quite clever and enjoyed each little twist. I look forward to reading more by Kerry Lonsdale.
Thank you to NetGalley, Union Publishing and Ms. Lonsdale for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Kerry Lonsdale has hit it out of the park with Side Trip! I loved everything about this book. Joy is traveling across the country via Route 66 as some sort of penance. She's doing things that her deceased sister always planned to do but is now unable. Dylan is traveling the same route and performing at various dive bars along the way. He's miserable and resentful that he was forced to go on this trip. Fate brings these two together when Dylan's car breaks down along the way at a diner. He and Joy meet and she agrees to let him ride with her.
Joy and Dylan initially enter into their road trip agreement for mutual benefit. For Dylan, he needs transportation. Joy feels more at ease having a traveling companion and Dylan agrees to pay for their gas along the way.. What neither of them plan on is that they grow to enjoy one another's company and friendship. It's evident that they are both fighting personal battles. Joy is haunted by "what ifs" and Dylan is plagued by the influence of his deceased father. Joy is making decisions to make others happy or what she perceives will make others happy. She rarely listens to what her own heart wants. Dylan's father was never a good example of a dedicated family man. He convinced Dylan that long-term relationships would never work for men in the music industry.
This story is told from both Joy and Dylan's viewpoints. It also involves different time periods and bounces back and forth between them. I thought this storyline was quite clever and enjoyed each little twist. I look forward to reading more by Kerry Lonsdale.
Thank you to NetGalley, Union Publishing and Ms. Lonsdale for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 29, 2020
Side Trip, the latest women’s fiction/romance from Kerry Lonsdale was a delightful surprise of a novel for me. I’ve been reading Kerry’s books since her debut and have to say, this might be my favorite yet. Joy and Dylan are on a road trip together and they agree that if one of them wants to take a detour (or side trip) they must both agree. Along the way, the two learn a lot about each other and themselves, causing Joy to question her own engagement (to someone else) but what transpires on this trip will shock even the most perceptive of readers - especially me!
Thank you to Amazon Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
April 12, 2020
I love 's writing. She always manages to grab me right away and not let go until the last page has been turned. Her debut Everything We Keep was one of my favorites in 2016 and now ranks right up there with it as the best of Kerry's novels.
Joy and Dylan had such amazing chemistry. I liked how the story went back and forth between the time they were traveling and what happened afterward. It kept building up to some harrowing truths. I was only able to guess one part of the story. Everything else was surprising and caught me off guard. This was a great escapist read while being cooped up in a house, just envisioning two people riding across the US and exploring new places along the way. I also enjoyed the music aspect, whether it was discovering what was on Joy's road trip playlist or imagining what Dylan was singing at his performances along the way.
My only concern was that I had difficulty getting a sense of timing. I didn't know what year it was until they said 2020 was ten years after the road trip. I thought it had taken place in current time and that the story was going into the future during the "after" chapters.
This was a wonderful love story and it also spoke to being true to yourself. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile this summer!
Movie casting ideas:
Joy:
Dylan:
Mark:
Taryn:
Chase:
Joy and Dylan had such amazing chemistry. I liked how the story went back and forth between the time they were traveling and what happened afterward. It kept building up to some harrowing truths. I was only able to guess one part of the story. Everything else was surprising and caught me off guard. This was a great escapist read while being cooped up in a house, just envisioning two people riding across the US and exploring new places along the way. I also enjoyed the music aspect, whether it was discovering what was on Joy's road trip playlist or imagining what Dylan was singing at his performances along the way.
My only concern was that I had difficulty getting a sense of timing. I didn't know what year it was until they said 2020 was ten years after the road trip. I thought it had taken place in current time and that the story was going into the future during the "after" chapters.
This was a wonderful love story and it also spoke to being true to yourself. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile this summer!
Movie casting ideas:
Joy:
Dylan:
Mark:
Taryn:
Chase:
January 31, 2020
WOW!! Kerry Lonsdale has done it again -- given her readers a fantastic story with realistic characters that keep you turning pages to the end. I have read every word that this author has published and she has become one of the few authors that I will buy her books without knowing anything about them because I know that they'll be fantastic.
Joy is driving from California to New York City to start a new job and move in with her fiancé. She is travelling on Route 66 holding on to her deceased sister's bucket list as she tries to experience all of adventures that her sister wanted to do but never had a chance before she died. In Arizona, she meets Dylan who is also headed to NYC but with his car broken down at a greasy spoon restaurant, he isn't sure how he'll get there. He is a musician and has several stops to make along the way to perform at various bars. They make a deal. She’ll drive him to New York and he’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree. After spending 10 days together on their trip, they say goodbye at JFK airport in NYC and spend the next 10 years wondering 'what if'.
This book is full of romance and music and suspense. It asks the question whether planning out your life and adhering strictly to your plans is the way to find happiness? Or does life need some spontaneity to be happy?
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Joy is driving from California to New York City to start a new job and move in with her fiancé. She is travelling on Route 66 holding on to her deceased sister's bucket list as she tries to experience all of adventures that her sister wanted to do but never had a chance before she died. In Arizona, she meets Dylan who is also headed to NYC but with his car broken down at a greasy spoon restaurant, he isn't sure how he'll get there. He is a musician and has several stops to make along the way to perform at various bars. They make a deal. She’ll drive him to New York and he’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree. After spending 10 days together on their trip, they say goodbye at JFK airport in NYC and spend the next 10 years wondering 'what if'.
This book is full of romance and music and suspense. It asks the question whether planning out your life and adhering strictly to your plans is the way to find happiness? Or does life need some spontaneity to be happy?
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
February 1, 2020
Omg!
Kerry has done it again.
I’ve laughed, I’ve cried (big fat ugly tears) and I have loved every minute of this journey..
Joy is travelling Route 66 to complete her dead sister Judy’s bucket list, before moving to New York to marry her fiancé Mark. She plans to cross of all the things Judy wanted to do in her memory.
Stooping at a roadside cafe she meets Dylan ,who is travelling the same route performing in various venues on the way. After hs car breaks down she agrees to give him a lift, as long as they agree to 3 rules: No last names, Whatever happens on the road stays on the road, and if one of them wants to take a side trip they both have to agree. They spend the next 10 days together before separating at JFK.
The story is told in both Joy and Dylan’s perspectives and weaves brilliantly between before and after
I would highly recommend. I’ve also loved listening to the Side Trip playlist that accompanies this book
Thanks go to Kerry and her Team Side Trip And Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
Kerry has done it again.
I’ve laughed, I’ve cried (big fat ugly tears) and I have loved every minute of this journey..
Joy is travelling Route 66 to complete her dead sister Judy’s bucket list, before moving to New York to marry her fiancé Mark. She plans to cross of all the things Judy wanted to do in her memory.
Stooping at a roadside cafe she meets Dylan ,who is travelling the same route performing in various venues on the way. After hs car breaks down she agrees to give him a lift, as long as they agree to 3 rules: No last names, Whatever happens on the road stays on the road, and if one of them wants to take a side trip they both have to agree. They spend the next 10 days together before separating at JFK.
The story is told in both Joy and Dylan’s perspectives and weaves brilliantly between before and after
I would highly recommend. I’ve also loved listening to the Side Trip playlist that accompanies this book
Thanks go to Kerry and her Team Side Trip And Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
July 7, 2020
Who’s ready for a road trip? With vacation plans across the world pretty much cancelled I think we’re all in need of a vacation and going alongside Joy and Dylan for an emotional, unforgettable road trip was the next best thing to taking a trip myself. I’ve followed along and read all of the authors books over the years and this is her best yet!
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all wondered what if? about many different things in our lives, what if you and your partner never crossed paths? Or what if one small decision changed the course of your life forever and you don’t even realize it? That’s the heart of this book because when Joy and Dylan randomly meet and decide to team up for a road trip they lay some ground rules that include no last names so it makes it near impossible for them to find each other afterwards, what happens on the road trip stays there, but what if one or both of them decides the rules should be broken? This was much more clever than I can accurately convey to you guys, there was a super smart little twist that was a game changer for the whole story and without verging into spoiler territory that’s really all I can say. I definitely appreciated the direction this one took though and can only applaud the author for managing to pull off something unique and pretty magical in the end. Definitely recommended by me, especially if you’re looking for a truly escapist read.
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all wondered what if? about many different things in our lives, what if you and your partner never crossed paths? Or what if one small decision changed the course of your life forever and you don’t even realize it? That’s the heart of this book because when Joy and Dylan randomly meet and decide to team up for a road trip they lay some ground rules that include no last names so it makes it near impossible for them to find each other afterwards, what happens on the road trip stays there, but what if one or both of them decides the rules should be broken? This was much more clever than I can accurately convey to you guys, there was a super smart little twist that was a game changer for the whole story and without verging into spoiler territory that’s really all I can say. I definitely appreciated the direction this one took though and can only applaud the author for managing to pull off something unique and pretty magical in the end. Definitely recommended by me, especially if you’re looking for a truly escapist read.
July 9, 2020
Wow. Just finished this book (one day read) and my emotions are all over the place.
This is easily my favorite of all Lonsdale's books. I'm a sucker for a romance, and Dylan and Joy deliver. Sure, there are plenty of what ifs and what could have beens thread through this ten-day journey across the country where promises are made and broken and relationships are tried and tested.
But the ending. Honestly, it is one of the most jaw-dropping conclusions I've ever read. I was completely unprepared for all the feels and you will be too.
Strap in for a fun, musical, and magical ride with characters you won't soon forget. CONGRATULATIONS, Kerry, on an absolute winner.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
This is easily my favorite of all Lonsdale's books. I'm a sucker for a romance, and Dylan and Joy deliver. Sure, there are plenty of what ifs and what could have beens thread through this ten-day journey across the country where promises are made and broken and relationships are tried and tested.
But the ending. Honestly, it is one of the most jaw-dropping conclusions I've ever read. I was completely unprepared for all the feels and you will be too.
Strap in for a fun, musical, and magical ride with characters you won't soon forget. CONGRATULATIONS, Kerry, on an absolute winner.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
February 1, 2020
Wow! This is Kerry Lonsdale’s best writing yet! Every book I read I think that she can’t write a book I like better, happily I continue to be wrong! I loved Joy and Dylan! I loved that I could actually feel the emotions that Kerry was portraying through her characters! There was so much “Joy� reading this, tears as well (you will experience these emotions too I promise)!
I just cannot recommend Kerry as an author more! If you are reading this, take a “Side Trip� with her other books she has written as well! You won’t be sorry!
I just cannot recommend Kerry as an author more! If you are reading this, take a “Side Trip� with her other books she has written as well! You won’t be sorry!
September 7, 2020
*Priecīga sit plaukstiņas*
Dievinu road trip ž!
Divi svešinieki deviņas dienas ceļo pāri ASV, lai izbaudītu visu, ko sniedz ceļš un otra kompānija, un pēc tam vairs nekad nesatiktos. Tikai tās atvadas lidostās un stacijās nekad nav tik vieglas, kā varētu šķist.
Dievinu road trip ž!
Divi svešinieki deviņas dienas ceļo pāri ASV, lai izbaudītu visu, ko sniedz ceļš un otra kompānija, un pēc tam vairs nekad nesatiktos. Tikai tās atvadas lidostās un stacijās nekad nav tik vieglas, kā varētu šķist.
June 7, 2024
While moving from California to NYC to be with fiancé, Mark, Joy plans an epic road trip with various "side trips" along the way to fulfill her deceased sister Judy's bucket list. But, what happens when her solo trip hits an unexpected speed bump? Will she roll with it, or stick to her original path? Either way, it adds up to 10 intense, unforgettable days!
If you're unable to travel this summer, then let Side Trip take you on the road trip of a lifetime! The chemistry between Joy and Dylan (aka the speed bump previously mentioned) was palpable and intense. The story was sweet, romantic, and steamy, and I teared up several times. At one point, you'll probably be tempted to throw the book out a moving car window, but please don't do it. Instead, take a deep cleansing breath and then keep reading! If you loved (4 stars) by , then I'd highly recommend this one.
"The tune made her think of love and loss and life's unexpected routes, like the road that had led her to him."
Location: Road trip along Route 66 from California to NYC
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
If you're unable to travel this summer, then let Side Trip take you on the road trip of a lifetime! The chemistry between Joy and Dylan (aka the speed bump previously mentioned) was palpable and intense. The story was sweet, romantic, and steamy, and I teared up several times. At one point, you'll probably be tempted to throw the book out a moving car window, but please don't do it. Instead, take a deep cleansing breath and then keep reading! If you loved (4 stars) by , then I'd highly recommend this one.
"The tune made her think of love and loss and life's unexpected routes, like the road that had led her to him."
Location: Road trip along Route 66 from California to NYC
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 4, 2020
If you read this book, hold your breath - you are in for an incredible joy ride!! This story is full of mesmerizing heart wrenching emotions,....joy, sorrow, secrets, and guilty pleasures leaving your heart pounding. Joy Evers is on her way to meet her fiance Mark but a chance encounter at a diner with rock star Dylan Westfield, changes her plans. They agree to share the ride together, across country in her new convertible. There are rules - what happens on route 66, stays on route 66. There are many - "What if's" that keeps the suspense increasing. I can't say enough about how many of my own memories filled my senses reading this book. I felt like I was feeling the sun and breeze on my shoulders singing along...as if I were riding along with them! Kerry Lonsdale is an amazing author !! This book has filled my heart - I wish I could give it more than 5 stars....I think it is her best one yet. I absolutely loved this story!
May 14, 2020
Love this surprising and twisting love story about two lost and lonely people offered a chance at happiness. Will they take it....or let life make those choices for them? A highly romantic and heartwrenching story by a writer who rarely takes the expected route.
February 26, 2020
Kerry Lonsdale's best book to date—and that's a very high bar. I loved this smart, sexy, and wholly unexpected novel about two people who may or may not be destined for each other.
March 4, 2021
Side Trip wrecked my soul!!
I read my first Kerry Lonsdale book Everything We Keep back in 2016 the day it released, call it fate. Up until this point I have read everything that she has written, and I am constantly surprised at how her stories can pull you in and keep you hooked until the very last page. Side Trip was no different but it was also 100% different. I had been putting this book of for about a year because I wasn't sure it was my thing. Boy, was I wrong!! This book was nothing like I expected a relationship that forms in one of the most unexpected places that spans a decade and will leave you breathless.
After Joy's sister dies, she decides to take the trip of a lifetime, a trip that spans cross country following route 66 with a bucket list that her sister created for herself to do one day. On the first leg of her journey Joy is having lunch at a diner on her way to Flagstaff when an extremely attractive man is having car troubles. Joy might believe in love and the beauty that comes with it but up to this point she has never seen a man that takes her breathe away, until him. After failing at fixing his car, Dylan walks into the little diner to use the phone but isn't able to. He is instantly intrigued by the girl sitting alone with her basket of fries and a phone. When he asks to borrow her phone, he never suspects the words that are about to pop out of his mouth. A deal that could help him get to where he is going and help Joy mark an item off her bucket list. As with any road trip there are rules, no last names and what happens on the road; stays on the road. Thus, begins Joy and Dylan's 10-day journey that could quite possibly change their lives forever. Good or bad.
For me, this wasn't a book I could have sit and read because there were parts that could have been considered "slow" or "tedious�, so I am glad I decided to do the audio. In this book, the details do matter and listening to James Patrick Cronin and Sarah Naughton narrate this book was perfection!!
From about 83% on I was a sobbing mess, even though I had figured out what was to come nothing could have prepared me for the ending that Lonsdale created. Her books tend to take turns you don't expect but this was a whole other world of hurt. Was it worth it? 100%, even if I was sobbing into my computer at work. If you have never read a Kerry Lonsdale book, do yourself the favor and read one.
I read my first Kerry Lonsdale book Everything We Keep back in 2016 the day it released, call it fate. Up until this point I have read everything that she has written, and I am constantly surprised at how her stories can pull you in and keep you hooked until the very last page. Side Trip was no different but it was also 100% different. I had been putting this book of for about a year because I wasn't sure it was my thing. Boy, was I wrong!! This book was nothing like I expected a relationship that forms in one of the most unexpected places that spans a decade and will leave you breathless.
After Joy's sister dies, she decides to take the trip of a lifetime, a trip that spans cross country following route 66 with a bucket list that her sister created for herself to do one day. On the first leg of her journey Joy is having lunch at a diner on her way to Flagstaff when an extremely attractive man is having car troubles. Joy might believe in love and the beauty that comes with it but up to this point she has never seen a man that takes her breathe away, until him. After failing at fixing his car, Dylan walks into the little diner to use the phone but isn't able to. He is instantly intrigued by the girl sitting alone with her basket of fries and a phone. When he asks to borrow her phone, he never suspects the words that are about to pop out of his mouth. A deal that could help him get to where he is going and help Joy mark an item off her bucket list. As with any road trip there are rules, no last names and what happens on the road; stays on the road. Thus, begins Joy and Dylan's 10-day journey that could quite possibly change their lives forever. Good or bad.
For me, this wasn't a book I could have sit and read because there were parts that could have been considered "slow" or "tedious�, so I am glad I decided to do the audio. In this book, the details do matter and listening to James Patrick Cronin and Sarah Naughton narrate this book was perfection!!
From about 83% on I was a sobbing mess, even though I had figured out what was to come nothing could have prepared me for the ending that Lonsdale created. Her books tend to take turns you don't expect but this was a whole other world of hurt. Was it worth it? 100%, even if I was sobbing into my computer at work. If you have never read a Kerry Lonsdale book, do yourself the favor and read one.
April 12, 2021
4.5⭐️
Wow. Why has it taken me so long to read this author? Kerry Lonsdale’s story telling, is addicting, unique and unputdownable. Joy is traveling across country via Route 66 from California to New York. She is on her way to meet her fiancé, and along the way she meets Dylan whom becomes her travelling companion. Through forced proximity and honest conversation Dylan and Joy have an amazing connection, that both try very hard to resist. This connection causes Joy to re-evaluate her life, her decision to marry her fiancé and whether or not he is the right man for her and she is able to finally talk through her sisters death and the guilt she feels behind it. The book is emotionally taxing in the best way. It left me feeling so much. The last few chapters were the most impactful and the tears were freely flowing down my face. Reading this book was a beautiful experience and I could never have imagined the impact it would have on me. I will be on the look out for more work by this author. Such incredible writing!
Wow. Why has it taken me so long to read this author? Kerry Lonsdale’s story telling, is addicting, unique and unputdownable. Joy is traveling across country via Route 66 from California to New York. She is on her way to meet her fiancé, and along the way she meets Dylan whom becomes her travelling companion. Through forced proximity and honest conversation Dylan and Joy have an amazing connection, that both try very hard to resist. This connection causes Joy to re-evaluate her life, her decision to marry her fiancé and whether or not he is the right man for her and she is able to finally talk through her sisters death and the guilt she feels behind it. The book is emotionally taxing in the best way. It left me feeling so much. The last few chapters were the most impactful and the tears were freely flowing down my face. Reading this book was a beautiful experience and I could never have imagined the impact it would have on me. I will be on the look out for more work by this author. Such incredible writing!
June 13, 2020
Side Trip
is a gorgeous love story, filled with regrets, what ifs and maybes, all culminating in an ending I didn't see coming. Kerry Lonsdale's writing is exquisite, and for the entire book I felt as if I was right there on Route 66 with Joy and Dylan, rooting for them & silently pleading with them to Make. Things. Work. I'd take a side trip with these two any time. Loved it!
April 18, 2023
This book made me cry!!!
July 27, 2020
What a fantastic story this was; I absolutely loved everything about it! Dylan and Joy are amazing together and I've ALWAYS wanted to take a Route 66 trip! This was so good that I couldn't put it down and I got zero productive things done today! haha. I highly recommend this one!
February 2, 2020
Wow! This is an amazing book. My emotions were all over the place and that is a fantastic thing to say about a story. When the reader becomes so involved in caring about the characters, the situations happening, and the ultimate outcome, that shows the great skills of the author.
Joy at age 13 made a bad decision. That decision then was made worse by decisions others made. She did the best she could at that young age, but now as an adult, she carries the guilt of what happened inside her, not wanting to express her feelings or truly feel free to live her life.
The guilt is eating Joy’s spirit away and she cannot see a way to be rid of it. In an attempt to relieve some pain, she takes a road trip on Route 66. This was a life goal of her sister Judy and she had a list of things to do on the trip. The fact that Judy is not around anymore and cannot take the trip herself is part of Joy’s guilt.
Joy meets Dylan near the beginning of her journey on Route 66 and he also is carrying burdens with him. They agree to travel together in Joy’s convertible Bug. Their relationship begins as driving companions, to temporary friends, to much more over the ten days of the journey. They become a salve to each other, to heal the wounds of the past.
The details of the journey on Route 66 were so interesting to experience. I never have taken the trip, but now, I feel like I did. There is a strong theme of music being felt deeply in the soul and what a musician’s life is like in this story. That was so informative and enjoyable to me, since I love music.
I believe the core of the story is about self-forgiveness and living “your� best life. I think that might be the bravest thing to do. To live the life you want and to be strong enough to achieve the goals you desire.
I highly recommend this book! It will be released on July 7, 2020.
I am a huge fan of this author’s work and I think this is a wonderful addition to her collection. I want to thank Kerry Lonsdale and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of being an advance reader. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.
Joy at age 13 made a bad decision. That decision then was made worse by decisions others made. She did the best she could at that young age, but now as an adult, she carries the guilt of what happened inside her, not wanting to express her feelings or truly feel free to live her life.
The guilt is eating Joy’s spirit away and she cannot see a way to be rid of it. In an attempt to relieve some pain, she takes a road trip on Route 66. This was a life goal of her sister Judy and she had a list of things to do on the trip. The fact that Judy is not around anymore and cannot take the trip herself is part of Joy’s guilt.
Joy meets Dylan near the beginning of her journey on Route 66 and he also is carrying burdens with him. They agree to travel together in Joy’s convertible Bug. Their relationship begins as driving companions, to temporary friends, to much more over the ten days of the journey. They become a salve to each other, to heal the wounds of the past.
The details of the journey on Route 66 were so interesting to experience. I never have taken the trip, but now, I feel like I did. There is a strong theme of music being felt deeply in the soul and what a musician’s life is like in this story. That was so informative and enjoyable to me, since I love music.
I believe the core of the story is about self-forgiveness and living “your� best life. I think that might be the bravest thing to do. To live the life you want and to be strong enough to achieve the goals you desire.
I highly recommend this book! It will be released on July 7, 2020.
I am a huge fan of this author’s work and I think this is a wonderful addition to her collection. I want to thank Kerry Lonsdale and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of being an advance reader. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.
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